Star_Guy

Marriott/Design Hotels contract model update: http://corporate.designhotels.com/do...ement_en_0.pdf

hopefully once their contracts are up, all the hotels will leave marriott and come over to Hyatt/SLH

Horace

Actually, Autograph Collection is NOT a brand for "hotels [Marriott] had as franchises but that no longer could fit in the brand standards." Kessler Collection was the launch partner for Marriott’s Autograph Collection. Most Autograph Collection properties were previously independent or have been new-builds.

Yes, a handful of current Autograph Collection properties were previously part of Marriott. The former Renaissance Mayflower in DC and the former Ritz-Carlton in Dearborn come to mind. Both went through extensive renovations before being rebranded. A few AC Hotels properties in Spain moved to Autograph Collection — because they were high-end properties that substantially exceeded AC Hotels standards. There have been some others.

However, the history of Marriott's other collection brands is not the pertinent to this thread. Neither are the underlying business arrangements. What matters is that Marriott presents Design Hotels as one of Marriott's 30 brands — creating the perception that it's one of four collection brands, each occupying a different market niche.

It's quite different from how Small Luxury Hotels of the World and World of Hyatt present their relationship.

quirrow

Indeed, I think Design Hotel's value to Marriott is their footprint in smaller cities and towns around Europe and Asia are great for travellers who otherwise have no hotel chain alternatives. One example is in the Nordics where there are plenty of Design Hotels with Marriott/SPG limited to the large cities. In some big cities, Design Hotels would increase capacity during peak conference period. Marriott reducing the partnership and no longer honoring BRG is definitely a step backward.

Ripley62

I’m not really sure how you can say that especially if you book as both companies prefer you do and the vast majority of loyalty members do, through the larger company's websites. The hotels that from those smaller independent, semi independent in Design Hotels case, come up the same way in the locations listings on both Marriott’s and Hyatt’s websites as just another option near a location. . In both cases you can also search for either as a collection and the results will show all complying properties. If you go through either Design Hotels or SLH direct website the affiliation with the larger company has been only in the property's details. Actually SLH makes a much bigger point on its website the alliance with Hyatt than Design Hotels website mentions Marriott or mentioned Starwood before that.

as far as compliance with loyalty rules well I really don’t see how it’s different than RC or for that matter how JWs sometimes have full breakfast and sometimes a continental when there is either no lounge on property or it’s closed on weekend. Even there some JWs like Los Cabos can have a much more lavish, equal to Asian properties, full buffet breakfast as an up charge an offer a very generous served breakfast as elite benefit. That's just one of many examples of franchised properties not managed by Marriott itself under contract where the loyalty benefits vary almost as much as they are observed by Design hotels properties that are associated with Bonvoy. Across Marriott brand upgrade potential also varies property to property with StR and RC, in very different ways, being the only consistent by Brand. There’s also a fairly large variation in upgrades and elite breakfast offing at Tribute hotels also.

I'm quite happy to earn night credits in unique design hotels in places it choice small hotels outside of Marriott. But then I prefer the independent feel, I care much less about upgrades than I do about the points earn as a discount on future leisure nights. if I’m staying in a location that just a place to sleep a base room is fine and I really don’t care about an upgrade. If I’m booking to be in a hotel I book the room I want to stay in, if I’m upgraded above that great. This is exactly my booking attitude as with independent hotels.

It seems the only way you’d be satisfied with design hotels is if it left Marriott because and independent like option is just to confusing.

BTW I believe the hotels within Autograph that didn’t fit the physical brand stands are a bit more extensive. Mayflower for one I seem to remember had its major remodel when it was a Renn and the Pulse MVC was included. The Lexington reflagged from being a Radisson and because it could fit the physical brand standard of either Renn or Marriott available Autograph was a good fit this is unlike NY East side Marriott which Marriott took over the management of much earlier in 1990 a decade after the old hotel reopened and in the relatively early days of Marriott's expansion

khabah

In the years since Design Hotels have been part of the Starwood/Marriott portfolio [they joined SPG as a qualifying brand in late 2015] and now that Marriott physically owns 74 percent of Design Hotels and even controls its CEO and board appointments, I still find it disappointing that Marriott hasn't been able to make this a more enticing offering within their portfolio.

When drawing a direct comparison to Hyatt and its tie-up with SLH - which is just that, a tie-up with no Hyatt ownership of SLH - Design comes up short. Hyatt members get complimentary continental breakfast for two at SLH properties when booking through Hyatt, and an early check-in at noon/2 PM late checkout plus a one-category room upgrade [all subject to availability], while Marriott members at Design get water, wi-fi and "enhanced room upgrades" for Golds and above, and late checkout at 2/4 PM subject to availability. When comparing portfolios, 113 of Design's 322 hotels participate in Marriott Bonvoy, compared to 365 of SLH's 550 participating in World of Hyatt.

I'm sure it comes down to individual properties electing to join the respective loyalty programs, but I wish that Marriott would have put more effort into making Design Hotels more of a value proposition than the afterthought it currently feels like - especially given how much control it exerts over the overall company.

khabah

escapefromphl

Design Hotels are meant to be so cool that they don’t need a rewards program to entice you to stay. But maybe with the slowdown in travel at least having a points earning and burning benefit would be a good idea? Hyatt somehow gets it somewhat right with SLH...

khabah

According to this article from LoyaltyLobby, Marriott is seeking to buy out the remaining shares of Design Hotels and bring it fully under the company's wing as a wholly-owned brand. I hope this means that the brand will act like the others on paper in that elites qualify for upgrades, breakfast as an arrival gift selection and such - and if it'll force other properties that didn't participate in the loyalty program to join in. I do wonder, however, if DH becoming a full Marriott brand will push hotels to end their affiliation with the group.

Should be interesting - but not a bad development from Marriott for a change.

khabah

lost_in_translation

What are the rules with booking Design Hotels that are part of Marriott these days? Want to book Myconian Kyma but there are dates where there is availability on their own website but not through Marriott.com, as well as various room types only available on https://www.myconiankyma.gr/

Am I forgoing stay credit and benefits by booking directly with the hotel still?

ftrichard

You should ask the hotel directly this question. I can give you an example of a Design Hotel in HK that actively encourages direct bookings bypassing Marriott's web sites by offering additional freebies on the direct bookings (breakfast, happy hour, etc.) but will nevertheless credit your Bonvoy account with the appropriate nights and points after you check out as my understanding is that this is a manual process for Design Hotels. Ask the Myconian directly if you get Bonvoy credits and book direct if you like the answer.

thomasito

Agree! Its a manuel process for Design Hotels, but I would really contact them first and ask about and let them confirm via email. If they forget afterwards or credit a wrong amount, Marriott would not assist as they have no booking record when you make the reservation with the hotel directly.

kthpence

Sorry to re-up this, but I'm traveling through Europe next month and have booked many design hotels via AMEX FHR/Hotel Collection, and after booking, the hotels do show up in my Marriott profile, but when I reached out to the hotel to let them know about a special occasion (my 30th birthday), they said that I don't get any benefits or points/nights as I booked through AMEX/Hotels.com (I always thought Amex booked through Expedia?). Anyway, does anyone know if this is accurate? I've never had issues with nights/points posting to my Bonvoy account when booking through AMEX FHRs ...

Any info is greatly appreciated !

MePlatPremier

Design Hotels have a limited participation in the loyalty program. Only bookings made directly through Marriott’s websites are eligible for points and nights. Amex/FHR is not a Marriott booking channel, even if it may occasionally book through Marriott’s distribution platforms.

escapefromphl

Amex FHR doesn’t always earn Marriott points either, especially if prepaid through Expedia. Would cancel and book through Marriott if points earning is important. You don’t get many benefits at Design hotels as a Marriott elite anyway though - no breakfast. So the only real benefit even booking via Marriott is earning some points and possibly an upgrade depending on the whims of the property.

cubeman

Stayed at a Design hotel in France on Oct 9th, no stay posted still as of today so I reached to Ambassador email and they said they requested my Folio to be sent to me but since it's a Design hotel they must process my points/credits as Marriott cannot on their end. I'm hoping they do but it's silly that if I book something through Marriott's portal in the end the hotel controls the rewards part.

MePlatPremier

Design Hotels properties don’t use Marriott’s hotel management software. To them Marriott is just a booking platform, much like hotels.com or expedia. There’s no way for Marriott to know if a stay booked through its system was completed and what was the total amount spent by the guest. The hotel has to insert that information manually into Marriott’s platform, and most DH hotels fail to do so promptly, either because their staff aren’t properly trained on Bonvoy procedures or as a cost cutting strategy, to avoid paying Marriott the fees it is due.